Seraphina left for the Guild Hall at 8:00 AM sharp.
She looked impeccable in her white uniform, not a single hair out of place, betraying no sign that she had spent the night cuddling her aide like a plush toy.
"Stay here," she ordered Kael at the door, her tone professional. "The press is swarming the city after the 'vigilante attack' last night. If they see you, they might ask questions you can't answer. Rest. You look pale."
"I'll try not to miss you too much," Kael leaned against the doorframe, sipping coffee.
She rolled her eyes, but Kael caught the slight twitch of a smile before she turned and marched toward her waiting convoy.
As soon as the heavy oak doors closed, Kael's demeanor shifted.
The playful aide vanished. The predator returned.
"Alfred," Kael called out to the empty hallway.
The butler materialized from the shadows near the staircase. "Yes, sir?"
"I'm going to be in the library. I need total privacy. No maids, no cleaning staff."
"Understood, sir. I shall guard the door myself." Alfred bowed. The old butler suspected Kael was more than he appeared—especially after seeing the bruises on the guards—but he knew loyalty to Seraphina meant loyalty to her choice of companion.
The Frostfall Library
Kael locked the door and sat at a massive mahogany desk. He swept aside a pile of ancient history books and opened his Inventory.
First, the documents.
He pulled out the stack of crumpled papers he had looted from Gareth's basement. They were stamped with a crimson sigil: an eye with a vertical slit pupil.
Kael began to read.
Most of it was fanatical nonsense—prayers to the "Sovereigns," accounting logs for illegal mana crystals, and lists of kidnapped civilians.
But then, he found a leather-bound journal. Gareth's personal diary.
He flipped to the last entry, dated two days ago.
"The Master has confirmed it. The Vessel (Seraphina) is reaching critical mass. The Curse is not killing her; it is terraforming her. Her human shell is cracking. The Frost Dragon King didn't just curse her... he impregnated her soul with his Essence."
"She is not dying. She is hatching."
"Phase 2 begins at the Winter Solstice Banquet. We will trigger the Forced Awakening. When the shell breaks, the Sovereign will return, and the city will freeze in eternal ice."
Kael slammed the book shut. His blood ran cold.
"They don't want to kill her," Kael whispered to the empty room. "They want to turn her into a bomb."
The Winter Solstice Banquet. That was the biggest social event of the year, attended by every Guild Leader, politician, and foreign dignitary. It was in two weeks.
If Seraphina "hatched" there, she would slaughter the entire leadership of humanity in a rage of draconic instinct.
"I need to get stronger," Kael muttered. "E-Rank isn't enough."
He pushed the books aside. It was time to check his real gains.
"System, show Status."
[STATUS WINDOW]
Name: Kael
Class: Scavenger (Level 2)
Rank: E (Stats equivalent to C+)
System Points: 2,450
[System Level 2 Unlocked Features:]
Shop Upgrade: New blueprints and consumables available.
New Function: [Fusion].
"Fusion?" Kael tapped the icon.
[Function: FUSION]
Description: Allows the Host to combine two items of similar nature to create a higher-grade item.
Success Rate depends on Item Compatibility.
Kael's eyes lit up. This was a game-changer. He could turn trash into treasure, and now he could combine treasure to make artifacts.
He checked his inventory. He still had the [Essence of Fire (Fragment)] he had drained from Gareth.
"System, what can I fuse this with?"
[Compatible Items in Inventory:]
[1. Venomous Shadow-Weave (Weapon)]
[Result Prediction: "Venom-Fire Chain". Adds burning effect to poison.]
Kael shook his head. "No. Fire and Poison often cancel each other out chemically. I need something else."
He opened the System Shop. He had 2,450 points to burn.
He scrolled past the potions and basic skill books. He stopped at a new tab labeled [Blueprints - Level 2].
[Blueprint: Nano-Weave Suit (Stealth Type)]
Cost: 1,000 SP.
Description: Light armor made of condensed mana fibers. Self-repairing. Adapts to Host's body temperature.
"Buy it."
[Transaction Complete. Remaining SP: 1,450.]
Now he needed materials. He couldn't just use scrap metal for this. He needed something flexible, durable, and conductive.
He thought for a moment. Then, a crazy idea formed in his head.
He stood up and walked to the corner of the library where Seraphina kept her "trophies."
On a mannequin stood an old, battered battle suit. It was the one she wore five years ago during the raid where she was cursed. It was shredded, useless, and saturated with residual cold energy. She kept it as a reminder of her failure.
To anyone else, it was a sentimental piece of trash.
To Kael, it was a goldmine.
He placed his hand on the suit.
[Item Detected: "Broken Frost-Silk Armor (Rank A - Damaged)"]
[Recycle?]
"No," Kael smiled. "Fusion."
He took out the [Blueprint: Nano-Weave Suit] (which acted as a template in his mind) and targeted the old armor.
"System, Fuse the 'Broken Frost-Silk Armor' with the 'Nano-Weave' concept. Use my remaining System Points as a catalyst if needed."
[Processing Fusion...]
[Warning: Conflicting Elements. Stealth (Shadow) vs. Frost (Ice).]
[Attempting to stabilize...]
The room hummed with power. The mannequin rattled. The white silk of the armor began to turn gray, then black, then a shifting, shimmering dark blue.
[Success!]
[Item Created: "Abyssal Frost Suit (Growth Type)"]
[Rank: B+]
[Attributes: Defense +40, Agility +15]
[Special Effect 1: Thermal Camouflage (Invisible to heat sensors).]
[Special Effect 2: "Cold Snap" - Upon taking damage, releases a burst of freezing air to slow attackers.]
Kael grabbed the suit. It felt like liquid mercury in his hands.
He stripped off his shirt and jacket right there and pulled the suit on. It tightened instantly, fitting like a second skin under his clothes. It was weightless.
He felt safe.
"Okay," Kael sat back down, feeling the cool energy of the suit settle against his skin. "I have armor. I have a weapon. I have a target."
He looked at the calendar on the wall.
Winter Solstice Banquet: 14 Days Remaining.
He had two weeks to stop a Cult from turning the woman he was protecting (and possibly falling for) into a global catastrophe.
"Time to go to work," Kael murmured.
He picked up the journal again. There was one more name mentioned in the list of conspirators. A name that made Kael's stomach turn.
It wasn't a monster. It wasn't a rogue mage.
It was Dr. Aris. Seraphina's personal physician. The man responsible for monitoring her curse.
"The doctor is in on it," Kael realized, clenching his fists. "He's been feeding them data on her transformation."
Kael stood up.
He didn't need to wait for the banquet to start cutting off heads.
He walked to the door and unlocked it.
Alfred was standing there, stoic as ever.
"Did you find what you were looking for, sir?" Alfred asked.
"Yes, Alfred," Kael adjusted his collar, hiding the high-tech suit underneath. "I need you to schedule an appointment for me."
"An appointment?"
"Yes. I'm feeling a bit... sick," Kael smiled, a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "I think I need to see Dr. Aris immediately."